Canada Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2025
Lars Hirschfeld, Diana Matheson, Michelle Pye and Christine Sinclair will forever be enshrined as honoured members of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame. The quartet – three former National Team players and a FIFA referee – will make up the Class of 2025 that will be celebrated by Canadian soccer fans this summer.
“Canada Soccer is honoured to celebrate this exceptional group of individuals as esteemed members of the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame. said Peter Augruso, President of Canada Soccer. “Lars, Diana, Michelle, and Christine have made a profound impact on the sport in Canada, and I am delighted that their significant contributions are being recognized.”
Pye, who spent 11 years on the FIFA List of Referees, will initially be celebrated on 3 May at the Canada Soccer Awards Banquet in Niagara Falls while goalkeeper Hirschfeld, who represented Canada across 17 years including three cycles of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and five editions of the Concacaf Gold Cup, will be celebrated at an upcoming Men’s National Team match (with date and details to be announced soon).
Matheson and Sinclair, who together won a Concacaf Championship and multiple Olympic medals while transforming the popularity and success of women’s football in Canada, will be honoured together at an upcoming Women’s National Team match this summer.
Hirschfeld and Matheson were both selected through annual voting in the Modern Canadian Players category while Pye was selected through a voting category for referees. Sinclair, the world’s all-time international goalscoring leader, was unanimously confirmed through extraordinary selection by the Canada Soccer Heritage & Hall of Fame Committee.
“It will be our honour and privilege to welcome these four legends to the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame, to shine a light on their legacy, and to protect their records and contributions to sport in Canada,” said Ken MacLean, Chair of the Canada Soccer Heritage & Hall of Fame Committee.
The Canada Soccer Hall of Fame honours Canadian players that have played the game with excellence at the international and club level. With the new Class of 2025, the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame now recognises 147 players, 13 coaches, 11 officials, and 45 builders as honoured members. Honoured members, by their achievements and passion, have made a positive impact on soccer in Canada and have left a legacy for the sport in our country and around the world.
Lars Hirschfeld represented Canada in goal across 17 years including three cycles of FIFA World Cup Qualifiers and five editions of the Concacaf Gold Cup. He was the Best Goalkeeper at the 2002 Concacaf Gold Cup when he led Canada to a third-place finish. He made 48 career international “A” appearances and posted 17 clean sheets. He was just 21 years old when he made his debut on 11 January 2000 during the Men’s National Team’s record-breaking 15-match unbeaten streak. At the club level, he won titles in Canada, Norway and Romania and he was a one-time record holder for most clean sheets by a Canadian in UEFA club competitions.
Diana Matheson won back-to-back Olympic Bronze Medals after capturing a Concacaf Championship and Pan American Games Gold Medal. She made 206 career international “A” appearances across 18 years, which at the time ranked second all time for Canada. In all, she played in three Olympic Games, four FIFA World Cups, won six Concacaf medals and won two Pan American Games medals. At the club level, she won national titles in Canada and Norway and was a Best XI selection in the inaugural season of the National Women’s Soccer League. At the London 2012 Olympic Games, she famously scored Canada’s Bronze Medal match-winning, last-minute goal.
Michelle Pye served on the FIFA List of Referees and Assistant Referees across 11 years from 2007 through 2017, including a notable appointment to the FIFA Women’s World Cup Canada 2015. She was appointed as a referee to the 2016 Concacaf Olympic Qualifiers as well as four FIFA youth tournaments, from the FIFA U-17 World Cup in New Zealand and Trinidad and Tobago to the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada and Papua New Guinea. In club football, she was in the middle for Canada Soccer’s 2006 National Championships Final in Surrey as well as the 2012 USL W-League Championship Final in Ottawa.
Christine Sinclair won an Olympic Gold Medal in 2021 after captaining Canada to a Concacaf Championship, a Pan American Games Gold Medal, and back-to-back Olympic Bronze Medals. She was a 14-time Canada Soccer Player of the Year and two-time Canadian Athlete of the Year. At the pro level, she won multiple league and playoff titles in both the WPS and NWSL, notably a three-time NWSL Championship winner with Portland Thorns FC. At her best in 2012, she set a Canada record with 23 goals in 22 matches and was the top scorer at the London 2012 Olympic Games. An appointed Officer in the Order of Canada, she set a world record by scoring 190 international “A” goals across her career. Sinclair was unanimously confirmed through extraordinary selection by the Canada Soccer Heritage & Hall of Fame Committee, allowing for expedited induction without traditional waiting periods.
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